Amazon starts offering free AutoRip MP3s with vinyl purchases

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In January Amazon launched its AutoRip service, which saw every music CD purchase accompanied by the 256Kbps MP3 versions of each music track for free. So for anyone who still prefers to have a physical copy of their music, there was no need to take the time to rip it for your digital music player of choice.

Now Amazon is extending the AutoRip service to include another physical music format it sells: vinyl. From now on, if you purchase any vinyl records from Amazon you will also receive the MP3 version for free. This is actually a much more useful offer because it’s a lot more difficult to rip your vinyl than it is a CD.

Just like with CDs, AutoRip will provide MP3s for any music release since 1998 and for any new music going forward. For Amazon, it’s an easy way to entice music purchases and draw new consumers due to the added value on offer. It also helps that the digital versions of the tracks are available immediately, meaning you can listen to your purchase before the vinyl version gets delivered.

But it’s also a way to promote its Cloud Player and associated apps. AutoRip music is stored for free on your account in the cloud, it can also be played back instantly on any Android or iOS device, Kindle devices, web browsers, Samsung TVs, and even a Roku or Sonos.So, unless there’s a major price difference at another online store, Amazon just gave you another reason to buy from them instead. [Image credit: Michelle Hawkins-Thiel]